Atomizer



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N o Moden' C. H. FISHER ATOMIZER.

PatenteaMar. 8, 1892.

MTNESEEE:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

0.11. FISHER. ATOMIZEB..

No. 470,375. Patented Mar. a, 1892.

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' NITED STATES CHARLES HENRY FISHER, OF CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN ATOMIZING AERAT OR COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

ATOMIZER.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,375, dated March 8, 189.?.

Serial No. 397,617. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLEsI-IENRY FISHER, of Canton, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Atomizers, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionhas for its object to provide a simple and effective apparatus for breaking up a stream of liquid of any desired size and volume into fine particles or drops and distributing the same widely, so as to subject them to the air, and thereby aerate and cool the liquid. p

The invention consists in the improvements which Iwill now proceed to describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents a side elevation of an atomizer embodying lmy improvements and a sectional view of a structure and a vat or tank therein arranged to receive the atomized liquid. Fig. 2 represents a vertical section of the atomizer. Eig. 3 represents a side elevation of a portion of the atomizer, and Fig. 4 `represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

My invention is designed primarily for atomizing and aerating beer-worts, and it is intended for use in breweries, although the invention is not limited to this use, and may of course be used to atomize and aerate any other liquid.

In the drawings, a represents a fixed conducting-pipe, through which the liquid to be atomized may beforced byany suitable means, such as a pump b. I prefer to use a pu mp which will supply a practically-uniform quantity of liquid under all adjustments of the com minuting part of the apparatus. The delivering end of the pipe a is affixed to a casing CZ, through which the liquid delivered by the pipe a passes, said casing being preferably vertically arranged, so that the liquid in passing through it will flow downwardly and pass out at the lower portion of the casing, which is provided with an outlet-passage e, extending downwardly some distance below the casing and terminating in the interior of a rotary distributer f. Said distributer is preferably of cylindrical form, and is provided on its periphery with tangential or nearly tangential outlets or ports f', arranged as shown in Fig. 4, the tangential arrangement of the outlets causing the distributer to be rotated by the passage of the liquid through said outlets in a manner which will be readily understood.

The distributer f is provided with a spindle f2, projecting downwardly from its lower portion, said spindle bearing at its lower end on a step g, which closely fits the spindle and is secured to a tubular standard or holder 7L, the upper portion of which is affixed to the lower portion of a cage z', said cage being rigidly supported in any suitable Way, preferablyV by being connected at its upper portion to a tting forming a part of the casing cl. The standard or holder h has a bearing 23, which closely fits the upper portion of the spindle. Said bearing and the step g confine the spindle, so that it cannot move laterally while rotating. I-Ience the liquid is distributed through a well-defined and predetermined area, and is therefore kept within the limits of the tank which receives the atomized liquid. It will be seen that liquid forced through the supply pipe a and passing through the casing d and into the distributer f will steadily and continuously pass outwardly through the outlets f and in so doing will rotate the distributer, the result being that the liquid is broken up into a series of streams by the outlets, said streams being subdivided into ine `drops both by their passage through the outlets and by the rotary movement of the distributer. WVithin the distributer is a delector j, which is at the bottom of the passage c and is formed and arranged to deflect the liquid passing-downwardly through said passage radially outward and prevent such excessive distribution of the liquid as would be caused by the rebounding of the liquid from a flat surface at the bottom of the passage, the flaring form of the detlector deflecting the liquid without causing it to rebound to any appreciable eX- tent.

I prefer to provide means for regulating the velocity of the flow of the liquid through the casing and into the distributer for the purpose of varying the size of the drops or particles into which the liquid is subdivided IOO by the described action of the distributer, an increase in the velocity of the liquid causing a corresponding increase. in the velocity of rotation of the distributer and a more minute subdivision of the liquid, while a decrease in the velocity of the liquid andin the rotation of the distributer causes an increase in the size of the drops or subdivisions of the liquid. To this endl I provide an adjustable valve, which is here shown as comprising a tube c', the interior of which constitutes the outletpassage e, said tube being fitted to slide in a socket or passage-Way provided for it in a fitting d', attached to the lower end of the casing d. The upper end of the tube e projects above the fitting d and into the interior ofthe casing d, and is provided with orifices or ports e2 e2, arranged to receive the liquid entering the casing. The defiectoryl is affixed to the lower end of the tube c', said tube having outlet orifices or ports e3 above said defiector, through which ports the liquid defiected by the defiectorjl flows outwardly into the distributer. The tube e is vertically movable, so that the outlet-ports e3 in its lower portion may be caused to project more or less below a sleeve d5, formed on and projecting downwardly from the fitting d', said ports being'thus opened or closed to any desired extent, the ports being closed by the elevation of the tube and opened by the depression of the same. The tube e is adjusted by means of a rotary shaft 7c, which is j ournaled in a bearing formed in a fitting d2, affixed to the upper end of the casing d, the lower end of said shaft being screw-threaded'and engaged with an internally-threaded socket in a head e4, affixed to theupper end of the tube e. The rotation of the shaft 7c causes the tube e to rise or fall, as the case may be, thus increasing or decreasing the operative area of the outletports e3.

It will be seen that by changing-the operative area of the outlet-ports I ain enabled to instantly vary the velocity of the liquid delivered to the distributer, the quantity of liquid supplied being kept practically constant by the action of the pump b, and thus regulate the size of the drops orparticles into which the liquid is subdivided, the regulation produced by varying the area of the outletports being more effective than any regulation that could be produced by means of a valve located at a distance from the point of delivery of the liquid to the regulator-for example, in the pipe a. The outlet-ports and the valve or gate that varies the area of the sameare in close proximity to the distributer, so that the liquid after passing through the outlet-ports cannot pass through any conduit which would retard its velocity before .it reaches the slots in the distributer. Hence the close contiguity of the valve or gate to the distributer is important.

The regulation of the size of the drops is a matter of much importance in cooling hot worts by aeration, the liquid requiring to be more finely subdivided in hot than in cold weather. It is very desirable to regulate the rapidity of evaporation in cooling atomized Worts, as under some conditions too rapid evaporation has been experimentally found to be somewhat detrimental. It will be seen that I effect this regulation of the rapidity of evaporation by the regulation of the size of the drops into which the liquid is subdivided.

I do not limit myself to the devices here shown for varying the Velocity of the liquid, and may use any other suitable valve whereby the operative area of outlet ports located within or in suitable proximity to the rotary distributer may be varied.

The tube e is prevented from rotating withthe screw-thread ed shaft 7a by means of a stud or screw e5, inserted in the fitting d', and engaged at its inner end with a vertical groove e in the peripheryof the tube e', as shown in Fig. 2.`

To enable the shaft f: to be rotated by a person at a distance from the distributer and outside of the area through which the liquid is distributed and in which the hot vapor arises, I provide the following devices: m represents a shaft journaled in a bearing in an arm o, which is mounted upon a boss or neckA cl3, formed on the fitting d2. Said shaft has a beveled pinion p, meshing with a corresponding pinion q affixed to the shaft 7c. The shaft m may be extended continuously outward to a point within convenient reach of the operator, so that it may be rotated and by its connection with the shaft 7c impart rotary motion to the latter. I prefer, however, instead of extending the shaft m continuously, as last described, to make said shaft comparatively short and connectl with it by a gi mbal-joint m a supplemental shaft r, which may extend outwardly to a point within reach of the operator, the object of said supplemental shaft being to enable the operating-handle r', which the operator grasps to effect the rotation of the shafts m and 7c and the adjustment of the tube e', to be located at any desired height and to be adapted to the construction of the building in which the apparatus is located. Said gimbal-joint connection may be of the ordinary construction and permit the shaft r to stand at any desired angle with the shaft m and impart rotary motion to the latter while standing at any angle to which it may be adjusted, the two shafts or sections and the gimbal-joint constituting a flexible shaft. The outer portion of the supplemental shaftr is journaled in a bearing s, which is supported by a hanger s', which is preferably bifurcated, its arms or bifurcations being pivotally connected at s2 with the bearing s. The hanger s may be detachably connected with a fixed support by any suitable means. I have here shown the hanger as provided with a stud s3 above its bifurcated portion, and said stud passes througha socket formed to receive it in an adjustable head t, which is supported by afsocket or holder t IOO IIO

aiiixed to a beam or other fixed support u. The head t is preferably'circular and prol vided with a screw-thread on its periphery,

said thread being engaged with an internal thread formed in the holder t', the latter being tubular and provided with a fiange t2, by which it is attached to the support u. The screw-thread connection between the headt and the holder t enables the head to be readily applied to and removed from its holder, said head being preferably1 provided with a polygonal shoulder t3 on its lower side to receive a wrench, whereby the head may be rotated. The stud s3 on the hanger is screw-threaded at its upper portion, and is provided with a nut s4 bearing on the upper side of the head t.

It will be seen that the holder t', head t, and hanger s constitute a simple and convenient means` for supporting the outer portion of the shaft r at any desired point, the holder being adapted to be readily attached to a beam or other xed support, while the head t is adapted to be readily inserted in and removed from the holder.

The arm o, which supports the shaft m, is provided with a circular socket which receives the boss d3 on the fitting d2, and is adapted to t-urn on said boss, so that the shafts m and r may extend in any direction from the atomizing apparatus. The arm o is secured to said boss d3 by means of a screw o'. When said screw is loosened, the arm o may be turned horizontally upon the boss (Z3 to any desired extent. The boss cl3 hasa peripheral groove which receives the inner end of the screw o', as shown in Fig. 2.

The cage 'i before mentioned is preferably composed of a circular bottom plate 5, vertical bars 6, secured to ears or lugs 7, projecting outwardly from said bottom plate, andan internally screw-threaded ring 8, formed "on or affixed to the upper ends of the bars 6, the

internal screw-thread of said ring engaging with an external thread formed on the fitting CZ. This construction permits the cage and the step-holder h, attached to the bottom plate thereof, to be readily applied to and removed from the fitting cl', it being necessary only to rotate the cage and thus screw the rin g S onto or off from said fitting in order to apply or remove the cage.

To protect the spindle and to prevent the access of liquid, which islikely to contain adhesive substances in solution, to the interior of the step-holder ,71, I provide the bottom plate 5 of the cage with one or more upwardlyprojecting concentric flanges 9 9 and the bottom plate of the distributer with a corresponding concentric groove or grooves l0, which receive the upper portions of the said flanges,the sides of said grooves and the portions of the flanges that stand between them constituting baffle-plates which prevent the inward movement of the liquid from the exterior of the distributerto the spindle f2 and its step g. The annular `flanges 9 are preferably made of increasing height from the exterior toward the center of the plate 5, the'innermostflange being preferably higher than the others as a further safeguard against the admission of liquid to the holder 71..

An outlet l2 may be provided at the bottom of the annular groove or space between the inner flange 9 and the adjoining fiange for the escape of any liquid that may find its way between said flanges, or, if desired, there may be similar outlets for all the spaces between the flanges 9. Y

I do not limit myself to the employment of the cage c', attached to the casing of the apparatus, as the means for supporting the step on which the spindle of the distributer has its bearing, as said step may be supported by any other suitable means. I prefer the cage, however, because it is the most compact and reliable means for supporting said step of which I am at present aware. I prcferto make the vertical bars 6 of the cage knifeedged at their inner edges, as shown in Fig. 4, to prevent said bars from obstructing the outward movement of the liquid.

I have shown the step-holder h made in a separate piece from the bottom plate 5 of the supporting-cage and screwed into an internally-threaded socket in the latter, the inner ange 9 being formed on the upper end of the step-holder.

The spindle f2 is shown as screw-threaded at its upper end and screwed into an internally-threaded socket in the bottom ofthe distributer. Said spindle is provided just above the portion of its periphery which is in contact with the bearing 23 in the spindlesupport h with a series of peripheral flanges or ridges, each of which is acute-angled in cross-section, the upper sidev of each flange being inclined downwardly from the body of the spindle,l while the under side is substan- IOO tially at right angles with. the axis of the IIO modified in various particulars without def parting from the spirit of the invention. For example, the casing d may be of any other suitable forman d construction that will adapt it to serve as a conduit to deliver liquid to the rotary distributer.

It is important that stops be provided to li mit themovements of the tube e', and particularly its upward movement, which checks the velocity of the liquid. If said tube were capable of moving upwardly far enough to entirely close the ports c3, the increase of pressure resulting therefrom would be likely to damage or burst parts of the apparatus. I have therefore provided two stops e' and e", the former arranged tolimit the upward and superior manner.

the latter the downward movement of the tube e. The stop z is here shown as a sleeve affixed to the fitting d2 and surrounding a portion of the shaft 7.o, the length of said sleeve being such that the head e4 will abut against it before the ports e3 are fully closed by the upward movement of the tube. The stop z is shown as a protuberance on the periphery of the tube, said protuberance being-arranged to abut against the fitting d when the tube is being depressed.. The stop z is important,

because it prevents thedepression of the tube to such an extent as to bring its lower end into contact with the bottom of the rotating distribnter.

I have found that lthe construction of the distributer shown in the drawings is avery satisfactory one, the body of thedistributer being a hollow cylinder which is slotted lengthwise by means of a saw or other rotary cutting tool adapted to cut parallel-sided slots through the shell of the cylinder, said slots being substantially tangential, as shown in Fig. 4. The-portions of the body of the cylinder between the slots are wedge-shaped in cross-section, each being substantially knife-edged at the inner surface of the cylinder and caused by its form and arrangement to slice off the liquid as it passes outwardly through the slots or ports. In case the distributer were rotated by power externally applied by a belt running on a pulley on the shaft of the distributer, as I have sometimes rotated it, this slicing-off action would materially diminish the resistance offered to the rotation of the distributer by the liquid, as will be readily seen. It is important that the distributer be capableof rotatingwith but little resistance. The construction shown, including the step g and the spindie-bearing 23, supporting the spindle affixed to the distributer, accomplishes this result in a It will be noticed that all the passages for the liquid, includi-ng the ports c2 c3 and the slots or ports f in the distributer, arel of such size and capacity that they permit the free escape of hop-leaves and other sediment and suspendedmatter-such as sugar-that might otherwise be accumulated or precipitated within the apparatus to an injurious eX-tent.

I claiml. A liquid-atomizing apparatus comprising in its construction a casing or conduit, a rotary dist-ributer arranged to receive liquid from-said conduit and adapted to be steadily and continuously rotated by said liquid, a spindle affixed to said distributer, and a step and spindle bearing, both closely fitting the spindle and supporting the same, so that the distribution of the liquid caused by the rotation of the distributor is confined to a predetermined circular area, as set forth.

2. A liquid-atomizing apparatus comprising in its construction a liquid-conduit, a rotary distributer arranged to receive liquid from said conduit and adapted to be rotated by said liquid, a movable valve or gate contiguous to said distributer, adapted tocontrol the velocity of liquid delivered to the distributer, and means for adjusting and holding said valve or gate at any point Within its range of movement, whereby the rapidity of rotation of the distributer and the size of the drops or subdivisions of the liquid formed by the action of the distributer may be varied, as set forth.

3. A liquid-atomizing apparatus compri-sing in its construction a liquid-conduit, a rotary distributer arranged to receive liquid from the conduit and adapted to be steadily and continuously rotated by said liquid, and a valve or gate contiguous to the distributer, whereby the velocity of the liquid delivered to the distributer may be varied, combined with a pump connected with the conduit and adapted to supply a uniform quantity of liquid to the d'istri'buter under all adjustments of said valve or gate, as set forth.

4. In aliquid-atomizing apparatus, a liquid conduit or casing, a rotary distributer at one end of the casing, adapted lto be rotated by the liquid passing through it, and a cage detachably secured to the casing and provided with a step-holder and with a step support-ing a spindle on said distributer.

5. In a liquid-atomizing appara-tus, a liquid'- receiving casing, a -distributer arranged to receive liquid from said casing and adapted to be rotated by said liquid, and a deiector within said distributer, whereby the excessive distribution of the liquid is prevented, as set forth.

6. In a liquid-atomizing apparatus, a liquidreceiving casing, a distributer arranged to receive liquid from said casing vand adapted to be rotated by said liquid, a movable valve within the distributer, whereby the .velocity of liquid delivered to the distributer may be varied, and a iiexible shaft engaged with 4said valve and extending outwardly from the alpparatus, the flexibility of said shaft enabling it to conform to the construction of the building inwhich the apparatus is located.

7. The combination of a liquid-receiving casing, a distributer arranged to receive liquid from said casing and adapted to be rotated by said liquid, a movable valve within the distributer, whereby the velocity of the liquid delivered to the distributer may be varied, a valve-operating shaft journaled in a bearing on the casing and having a screwthread engaged with said valve, a'second shaft geared to said operating-shaft, a bearing supporting one end of said second shaft, and an arm supporting said bearing and mounted to revolve about said casing, whereby the said second shaft may be caused to extend in any desired direction, as set forth.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a liquid-receiving casi-ng or conduit, a distributer located vat the delivering end of said conduit and adapted to be rotated by the liquid passing through it, a valve comprising a tube fitted to slide rela- IOO IIO

tively to a bearing or fitting forming a part of the casing and projecting at its ends outside of said bearing, one end having liquidreceiving ports, While the other end hasa bottom or deiiector and delivering-ports which are located within the distributer, and means for moving said valve lengthwise to vary the operative area of its delivering-ports and the velocity of the liquid delivered by said ports to the distributer.

9. The combination of the casing or conduit, the case secured thereto and having the bottom plate provided with concentric upwardlyprojecting anges, the step-holder secured to the central portion of said plate and surrounded by said flanges, and the rotary distributer having a spindle supported by a step in said holder, said distributer having a bottom plate provided with concentric grooves engaging with said concentric flanges, as set forth.

l0. The combination of the casing or conduit, a rotary distributer arranged to receive and be rotated by the liquid passing through the conduit, a valve movable Within the conduit and contiguous to said distributer and adapted to vary the velocity of the liquid, means for adjusting the Valve and for positively holding it at any position to which it maybe adj usted,and stops to limit the movements of the valve.

l1. The improved rotary distributer composed of a substantially cylindrical shell hav- CHARLES HENRY FISHER.

Witnesses:

HORACE BROWN, C. F. BROWN. 

